Puerto Ricans affected by Hurricane Maria will soon lose FEMA housing, but lawmakers are pushing for an extension
Senate Democrats are asking federal officials not to send hurricane victims back to Puerto Rico just yet.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration has provided temporary housing for Puerto Ricans affected by September's Hurricane Maria, but that aid is scheduled to end Saturday. The Hill reports that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) initiated a letter with other lawmakers to urge FEMA to grant a 60-day extension.
"If the administration refuses to extend [Transitional Shelter Assistance] or activate the [Disaster Housing Assistance] program, it will be knowingly placing families at risk of homelessness," reads the letter. TSA has paid for lodging for thousands of Puerto Ricans who lost their homes in the hurricane, but about 5,000 people still don't have electricity or repaired houses. Regardless, FEMA's aid will come to an end, after Puerto Rico's governor successfully sought an extension back in May.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Activating the Disaster Housing Assistance Program is one way that lawmakers think the government could provide a longer-term solution for Puerto Ricans who have "few resources to get back on their feet," but FEMA has argued against Puerto Rico's need for DHAP, saying it is "not necessary" and "not cost-effective." The Democratic senators said that FEMA has "yet to complete the mission of ensuring the safety of hundreds of displaced American families across the country," and requested that an extension be granted until aid money is dispersed across the island. Read more at The Hill.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against Norway
Speed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
By The Week UK Published